The Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority has rounded on the Vintners Federation of Ireland over proposed new drink driving laws.

Transport Minister Shane Ross is introducing an automatic three-month ban for those caught between 50 and 80 milligrammes - currently they only get penalty points and a fine.

The VFI said only a small number of people at this limit are responsible for crashes.

But Moyagh Murdock said the impacts on people cannot be measured as a statistic.

“35 people lost their lives and eight people were seriously injured. The VFI have attempted to downplay the value of those lives, as well as the lives of their families, by reducing them to insignificant statistics.

“Presenting the figure of 1.3% is a selective use of the data in an attempt to undermine the real impact of drinking and driving.”